Wigwam, a dwelling of a type used by Algonquian Indians. The word is from the Abnaki language and was first used by settlers in Massachusetts. The wigwam was a dome or conical structure in which saplings formed a frame covered with bark or rushes. Other Indian peoples had dwellings similar to the wigwam. The wickiup of the Paiutes and Apaches was a mat-covered or brush shelter. The tepee of the Plains tribes was a conical structure of poles covered with buffalo hides.